Swimsuit Shopping Tips

No matter how great your body, women everywhere cringe when it’s time to enter the dressing room with that dreadful fluorescent lighting with a bunch of bathing suits. With a few quick tricks and some suits targeted at different areas, I hope to make the experience of finding the right suit a little less painful.

Tips before hitting the dressing room

1. Try tanning a few days prior to shopping for a suit. Why? Pale skin and dressing room lighting rarely make for a good mix. And shave or wax or do whatever you do to handle your business— hairy in fluorescent lighting doesn’t work either.

2. Remember it is possible you are a different size in swimwear than you are in clothing. I am! Please do not let this get to you — make sure you find the suit that fits well and gives you the proper coverage and lift where you need it. If it fits well and looks good, who cares what size it is.

If you carry your weight in your midsection, the trick is to create balance in the body. Go for a tankini that has a V-neck and rusching in the midsection. This creates an hourglass silhouette by holding the tummy area in. The visual effect balances the body and our eyes are drawn to the shoulder and the leg line.

When you have a larger chest, do look for a top that has full cups with an underwire. You want to make sure your chest has the proper support. If traditional straps don’t feel secure enough, definitely go for a halter to tie around the neck, which will help you control how high you can hoist the girls.

If you have a small bust:Proportionally, you’re smaller on top with an A or B cup. Look for styles with embellished detailing, bows, fringes and patterns to create the illusion of a larger chest. You can also try bra tops and padded push-up tops that offer extra lift and can create cleavage, as can certain halter tops.

If you are larger on the bottom- you want to help lure attention away from your hips and thighs and towards your upper half. Avoid boy shorts, one-pieces with side cutouts, and bottoms with embellishments.